An editorial in The Guardian rightly focuses in on the importance of changing the voting system used for Westminster: The Liberal Democrats, and their Liberal forebears, have consistently favoured the adoption of proportional representation; the Conservatives have consistently opposed any reform; and the Labour party has been consistently divided on the issue. Labour is now promising House of Lords reform. This is a necessary but not a sufficient constitutional change to mend Britain's broken politics. Sir Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, was right to say in a speech last month that the current electoral system "fuels the disillusionment that ...
Seven by-elections were held in sub-zero temperatures yesterday, including a double vacancy! Our coverage is up, having stood 6 out of 8 potential candidates. But what's got Lib Dems chattering more than the cold is the fantastic result in Landkey ward in North Devon, where newly-elected Victoria Nel takes us into full control of the district council. A smashing success to Victoria and all the team in North Devon for placing another yellow brick in the blue wall! A double vacancy in Colchester yielded a win each for the Lib Dems and Labour after both Independents handed in their resignations. ...
Given that Labour is proposing to replace the House of Lords with an elected 2nd Chamber but, as yet, have no plan at to what form that 2nd Chamber will take. Here is my plan. 1. The election of Senators will be by the Nations and Regions of the UK as used for European Elections. 2. Each Nation or Region will initially elect three times their MEPs in 2019 to the Senate. That is: East Midlands 15 East of England 21 London 24 NE England 9 NW England 24 SE England 30 SW England 18 West Midlands 21 Scotland 18 ...
So, having given a more formal report on events in Bratislava, it's really rather about time that I offer a more personal perspective on events, one that focuses more on me and what I did there. Delegation Meeting Whilst our primary business was discussing the urgency resolutions, my contribution was to offer some compromise language and update my colleagues on some technical details. Individual Members summit The leadership of the Individual Members are deeply unhappy about the proposal to bring the current arrangements to an end and create a new "Friends of ALDE" group. Members of the new group would ...
It was a warm welcome back to Professor Tim Bale for the latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts. We revisited the five tests for opposition parties we've discussed before. How have Labour and the Lib Dems been performing against them? Take a listen to find out... Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes Our original discussion of five tests for opposition parties. Our December 2020 and March 2022 updates. Jon Mellon's research into how well people know the result last time in their own constituency. The YouGov ...
The importance of electoral reform So much of our country is broken. Failing public services, failing government, failing to give hope for the future. Key to fixing that is to fix our political system, and that means fixing the electoral system for the House of Commons. First past the post is the broken mechanism at the heart of our broken politics. Which is why Ed Davey recently gave an important speech to the IPPR, focused on how we need to make the next Westminster general election the last fought under first past the post. In his speech, Ed said: The ...
Not only was there really a Wise Woman of Wing, but legend persists that it was indeed possible to buy her pills and potions in Boot's of Uppingham well into the 20th century. Friday Despite the Wise Woman of Wing's excellent embrocation (3/6 a bottle from Boot's in Uppingham), I will admit to being a little on the stiff side these days to have made Gareth Southgate's final 26. So it was little hardship for me to announce my personal sporting boycott of Qatar, but cricket is another matter. For some years now my own eleven has opened its season ...
So says this press release from the Liberal Democrats: Responding to the Government's decision to approve a new coal mine in Cumbria, Liberal Democrat MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale and Environment Spokesperson Tim Farron said: This decision cancels out all the progress Britain has made on renewable energy. The Government's environmental credentials are yet again left in tatters. Rishi Sunak's Government is trashing our country's reputation as a world lead in cutting emissions. He does not represent the views of the public who want green, clean projects. After being dragged kicking and screaming to permit more on-shore wind they've now ...
Thu, 22:32: Whew! Daily Duotrigordle #281 Guesses: 35/37 1️⃣1️⃣ 3️⃣3️⃣ 1️⃣2️⃣ 1️⃣3️⃣ 1️⃣4️⃣ 3️⃣4️⃣ 1️⃣5️⃣ 1️⃣6️⃣ 1️⃣7️⃣ 1️⃣8️⃣ 3️⃣5️⃣ 1️⃣9️⃣ 0️⃣3️⃣ 0️⃣4️⃣ 2️⃣0️⃣ 2️⃣1️⃣ 2️⃣2️⃣ 2️⃣3️⃣ 0️⃣5️⃣ 2️⃣4️⃣ 2️⃣5️⃣ 2️⃣6️⃣ 0️⃣6️⃣ 0️⃣7️⃣ 2️⃣7️⃣ 2️⃣8️⃣ 2️⃣9️⃣ 0️⃣9️⃣ 3️⃣0️⃣ 3️⃣1️⃣ 3️⃣2️⃣ 1️⃣0️⃣ https://t.co/hh9bUoracM Thu, 22:39: Daily #298 0️⃣4️⃣⬛1️⃣6️⃣ 1️⃣7️⃣⬛1️⃣8️⃣ 0️⃣5️⃣⬛0️⃣6️⃣ 1️⃣9️⃣⬛0️⃣7️⃣ 2️⃣0️⃣⬛0️⃣8️⃣ 1️⃣3️⃣⬛1️⃣0️⃣ 1️⃣1️⃣⬛1️⃣2️⃣ 1️⃣4️⃣⬛1️⃣5️⃣ https://t.co/1E46GFGhS3 #sedecordle Fri, 10:45: RT @GeorgeWParker: New - "There was a brief moment and the people in charge, myself included, blew it." Kwasi Kwarteng, in highly reflectiv...
Compass is a think tank with a strong emphasis on equality and sustainability. It started as a pressure group within Labour but now has a wider membership including members of other progressive parties, including Liberal Democrats. Compass has launched a new campaign called Win As One. This is a variant on a Progressive Alliance, but it does not involve parties standing down candidates in Tory facing seats to back the most winnable. Instead it appeals to voters to create a movement for change, embracing tactical voting where it can be effective. The Guardian has more detail about how they intend ...
The Independent reports on a surprising admission by the UK Culture Secretary, Michelle Donelan, that nobody with "the luxury of hindsight" would repeat the government's £120m festival of Brexit project. Donelan was speaking at a parliamentary committee on Tuesday, where she was told that the event, officially known as Unboxed: Creativity in the UK, had been a "monumental cock-up". In responding, she took the opportunity to distance herself from the project and admitted there were "shortfalls" and "lessons learnt": "As you know that that initiative was developed and thought of as a concept years ago, and it was drawing its ...
In addition to three contests in the City of London, there were eight local council seats (two both in the same ward) on principal authorities up for election this week, with six Liberal Democrat candidates across them. That's two up on the last time the seats were up. (Here's why such news is so important.) First up, a Lib Dem gain that gives us a majority on North Devon Council: Landkey (North Devon) Council By-Election Result: LDM: 42.7% (+7.4) CON: 27.1% (-14.4) GRN: 26.1% (+10.6) LAB: 4.1% (-3.5) Lib Dem GAIN from Conservative. Changes w/ 2019. — Election Maps UK ...
I once quoted a Nottingham church's website on the genesis of Bethlehem Down: By 1927 Peter Warlock was in financial difficulty, due in part to a fall in the demand for his songs. He struck up a friendship with Bruce Blunt, a journalist, poet and "bon viveur". The first record of their association was a press report about them being arrested ""drunk and disorderly" in Chelsea. Running short of money, the two friends wrote Bethlehem Down to submit to the Daily Telegraph's annual carol contest. They duly won the prize, which was used to finance an "immortal carouse" on Christmas ...
As part of West End Christmas Fortnight, from 6.30pm to 7.30pm tonight, the Louisiana Fairytale Riverboat Jazz Band Concert is at The Gate, 158 Perth Road. The excellent Louisiana Fairytale Riverboat Jazz Band Concert will give an hour of their fantastic musical entertainment at this free concert with the hugely talented jazz band. All welcome - no booking required.
